Means for manufacturing carbids.



No. 656,600. PatentedAug. 2|, I900.

R. DDOLITTLE. I MEANS FOR MANUFACTURING CARBIDS.

(No Model.)

7/9 @5565 jaw UNITED STATES REUBEN DOOLITTIAE, OF

PATENT ()rrrcs.

ornoAeo, ILLINOIS, Assrc'nos 'ro MARY v. DOO- LITTLE, OF SAME PLACE.

PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,600, dated August21, 1 900.

Original application filed October 16, 1896, $erial No. 609,116. Dividedand this application filed October 20, 1899. Serial No. 734,228 (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REUBEN DooLIr'rLE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and 5 State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and usefulMeans for ManufacturingCarbide, of which the following is a description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference-lettersindicate like or 10 corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a vertical sectionof my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same inthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 are sections showingmodifications of the lower part of 15 the apparatus.

This is a divisional application, the subjectmatter being taken from anapplication filed by me on October 16, 1896, bearing Serial No. 609,116,for improved process of and means 20 for manufacturing carbids.

The apparatus here described and claimed is designed to carry out theprocess set forth in said application, permitting the continuousmanufacture of carbids of a unifom 2 5 quality.

' To this end my invention consists in the novel means for carrying outsaid process.

It also consists in such novel construction and combination of parts asare shown and 0 described and as are particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a vertical chambersurmounted by a hopper B, provided with any preferred 3 5 device forregulating the feeding of the material into the chamber. For thispurpose the worm O is provided.

8 s are pipes used to admit gas, oil, or other fuel near the top of thechamber, a space be- 0 ing provided around them to admit sufficient airto secure the desired combustion. By these means the falling material isprimarily heated and treated by passing through the flame, the qualityof whichmay be regulated 5 by controlling the admission of the air andof the gas, oil, or other fuel. Lower down in the chamber I arrangehorizontal electrodes D in opposing couples. In the preferred form aplurality of such couples'is used, the mate- 5o rial falling through thecontracted space between the ends of the several electrodes as it fallsto the bottom of the chamber, Figs. 1 and 2. As shown, the materialfalls by force of gravity, which is aided by a down draft through thechamber, caused by drawing off the superheated gases below theelectrodes through the f gas pipe E. Any preferred means such as a pump,stack, or exhaustfan-may be employed "to draw off the gases through thepipe E. It is obvious that the electrical current may be varied with theseparate couples of electrodes as desired. Thus they may be arranged tosubject the falling material to a gradually-increasing temperature untilthe necessary action takes place, resulting in a carbid.

By means of my improved apparatus a perfect control of the temperatureis secured at various points as the material descends, thusaccomplishing the most perfect and economical results.

The carbid may be removed in any pre-- ferred manner. Thus it may flowinto a removable receptacle T, as shown in Fig. 1, be tapped out at w,as injFig. 3, o'rbe delivered in granular form,,as in Fig. at, themethod of which will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The mode of operation is as follows: I take the proper proportions ofanypreferred form of carbon and a suitable basefor example, substantiallyone part of carbon or coke to two parts of limeor its equivalent-andafter thoroughly mixing the two together I place them in the hopper B,which is regulated to feed the material into the chamber in a contionswhich take place is that the first efiect of this operation is theformation of cyanogen and acetylene, which combine with the alkali,forming calcium cyanid, as is now well understood. By this combination apercentage of the nitrogen derived from the atmosphere admitted for thepurpose of producing combustion above referred to is taken up, thegreater part, together with any other gases released, moving onward withthe calcium cyanid. As the material comes within the influence of theelectrodes, which are especially arranged and controlled for thispnrpose, the falling material passesinto a Zone of heat in which thetemperature is sufficient to cause the decomposition of the calciumcyanid and the cyanogen and acetylene therewith, (supposed to be about1,775 centigrade) The decomposition greatly increases the temperature,as is well known. This increase of temperature, together with thatalready caused by the combustion of the gas and oil mentioned, bringsthe temperature to a point approximating that necessary to complete theprocess in the formation of the carbid, thus greatly economizing theelectrical energy usually found necessary for that purpose. Theelectrical current is managed to secure and maintain just thetemperature necessary to secure the best results in completing thedesired reaction. The superheated gases passing through this zone ofhigh tem' perature are drawn off through the pipe E for use as may bedesired. It will be seen .that the operation is continuous and economical, securing carbid of a uniform quality, and resulting also in alarge quantity of superheated gases,'whieh may be employed for varioususeful purposes.

If it is desired to deliver carbid in a granular form, and thus whileheating and securing a uniform grade of the product avoid the necessityand expense of grinding, I construct the lower part of my furnace withthat particular object in view. In the form shown I incase the lowerpart of the chamber in a cooling jacket or coil 0, Fig. 4 through whicha cooling fluid or gas maybe circulated, thus partially cooling theproduct. It may then be subjected to a blast through the pipe F, whichforces it through the pipe R, still further cooling and granulating it.Plates or grates M, provided with perforations or elongated openings,may be employed, if desired, to retard the flow of the product duringthe first cooling and deliver it to the action of the blast in smallstreams.

By my improved process I am enabled, if desired, to use the rawmaterials, such as pulverized slack coal and limestone, the passing ofthe material through the flame being sufficient to transform thelimestone into caustic lime, the reaction taking place as effectually asthough caustic lime was initially used. This enables me to dispense withthe expense of first burning the lime and results in a substantialsaving in the cost of the product.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A smelting-furnace consisting of the following elements incombination, a structure inclosing a vertical shaft, electrodes arrangedto form an electric furnace, means near the top of the shaft for feedingthe material to be treated into the shaft in a freely-passing shower offine particles substantially as described, means for directing a flameinto the shaft above the electrodes through which the material passes, adraft-pipe below the electrodes for causing a downdraft and for drawingoff the gases, and means for removing the smelted material,substantially as described.

2. A smelting-furnace, consisting of a vertical shaft provided withelectrodes arranged to form an electric furnace between the top andbottom of the shaft, means for adjusting the electrodes and a draft-pipebelow the electrodes in'combination with means for feeding the materialto be treated into the shaft above the electrodes in a continuous streamor shower of freely-passing fine particles, means for directing'a flameinto the shaft above the electrodes through which flame the materialpasses, and means for removing the smelted material, substantially asdescribed.

3. A smelting-furnace consisting of the following elements incombination, a structure incasing a shaft provided with means forfeeding the material to be treated into the shaft near its top at willin a shower of freelypassing fine particles, means near the top of theshaft for directing a flame into the shaft in the path of the fallingmaterial, electrodes arranged below the flame to form an electricfurnace and a draft-pipe below the electrodes, substantially asdescribed.

l. A smelting-furnace, consisting of the following elements incombination, a structure inclosing a shaft or chamber, means for feedingthe material to be treated into the chamber near its top at will,electrodes arranged to form an electric furnace between the ex tremes ofthe chamber for subjecting the falling material to a high temperature, adraftpipe below the electric furnace for drawing off the gases, acooling-jacket inclosing the lower part of the chamber and a pipeadapted to direct a blast upon the material to further cool it anddeliver it in a granular form.

5. A smeltingfurnace, consisting of the following elements incombination, a vertical shaft provided with means for feeding thematerial to be treated into the shaft near its top at will, means nearthe top of the shaft for directing a flame into the shaft in the path ofthe falling material, electrodes arranged in a plurality of superimposedcouples to form arcs of increasing temperature, a draft-pipe below theelectrodes for drawing off the gases, an d means for removing thesmelted material.

6. A smelting-furnace, consisting of the following elements incombination, a vertical shaft provided with means for feeding thematerial to be treated into the shaft near its top at will, means nearthe top of the shaft for directing a flame into the shaft in the path ofthe falling material, electrodes arranged to form an electric furnacebelow the flame, a draft-pipe below the electrodes for drawing off thegases, means for cooling the material in transit near the bottom of theshaft and means for directing a blast upon the material to further coolit and deliver it in granular form.

7. Asmelting-furnace, consisting of the following elements incombination, a vertical shaft provided with means for feeding thematerial to be treated into the shaft near its top at will, means nearthe top of the shaft for directing a flame into the shaft in the path ofthe falling material, electrodes arranged to form an electric furnacebelow the flame, a draft-pipe below the electrodes for drawing off thegases, a cooling-jacket incasing the lower part of the chamber and apipe adapted to direct a blast upon the material to further cool it anddeliver it in a granular form.

8. A smelting-furnace, consisting of the following elements incombination, a vertical shaft provided with means for feeding thematerial to be treated into the shaft near its top at will, means nearthe top of the shaft for directing a flame into the shaft in the path ofthe falling material, electrodes arranged to form an electric furnacebelow the flame, a draft-pipe below the electrodes for drawing 0% thegases, means for dividing the falling material into small streams orparts, a cooling-jacket inclosing the lower part of the chamber, and apipe adapted to direct a blast upon the material to further cool it anddeliver it in granular form.

9. A smelting-furnace for the purpose set forth comprising the followingelements in combination, a structure inclosing a shaft, a burner fordirectinga flame into said shaft, an electric furnace below said burner,and means for feeding the material in a freely-passing shower or streamthrough said flame and electric furnace, substantially as described.

10. A smelting-furnace for the purpose set forth, comprising thefollowing elements in combination, a structure inclosing a verticalshaft, electrodes arranged to form an electric furnace between the topand bottom of said shaft, means for feeding the material in afreely-passing shower or stream through said electric furnace, and adraft-pipe below the electric furnace for causing a downdraft throughthe electric furnace, substantially as described.

REUBEN DOOLITTLE.

Witnesses:

LEONORA WISEMAN, BESSIE SHADBOLT.

